Ceramic capacitor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a ceramic capacitor having metal plate terminals that absorb thermal stress and mechanical stress caused by flexure of the substrate. A ceramic capacitor element is provided with terminal electrodes at the two side end surfaces facing opposite each other. The metal plate terminals are each connected to one of the terminal electrodes at one end thereof, are each provided with a folded portion in a middle area and a terminal portion to be connected to the outside toward the other end from the folded portion.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A ceramic capacitor comprising: 
       at least one ceramic capacitor element having terminal electrodes at two side end surfaces facing opposite each other; and  
       at least a pair of metal plate terminals each connected to one of said terminal electrodes at the front end thereof and each provided with a folded portion in a middle area thereof and a terminal portion to be connected to the outside to the rear of said folded portion,  
       wherein said terminal portion includes at least one hole.  
     
     
       2. The ceramic capacitor of claim  1 , wherein: 
       said folded portion of each of said at least a pair of metal plate terminals includes at least one bent portion; and  
       said at least a pair of metal plate terminals are each connected to one of said terminal electrodes at an area between a first bent portion of said folded portion and said front end.  
     
     
       3. The ceramic capacitor of claim  2 , wherein said folded portion of each of said at least a pair of metal plate terminals includes two bent portions. 
     
     
       4. The ceramic capacitor of claim  3 , wherein said folded portion of each of said at least a pair of metal plate terminals includes a second bent portion, and is bent away from a respective one of said terminal electrodes at said first bent portion and, at said second bent portion, is bent so as to face opposite said two side end surfaces over a distance from said first bent portion. 
     
     
       5. The ceramic capacitor of claim  2 , wherein said at least one bent portion comprises one bent portion bent at an acute angle. 
     
     
       6. The ceramic capacitor of claim  5 , wherein the maximum distance between two portions facing opposite each other formed through bending at each of said at least a pair of metal plate terminals is 300 μm or less. 
     
     
       7. The ceramic capacitor of claim  2 , wherein said folded portion of each of said at least a pair of metal plate terminals is bent in an arc. 
     
     
       8. The ceramic capacitor of claim  1 , wherein said at least a pair of metal plate terminals are each connected to one of said terminal electrodes at said front end and provided with said folded portion in said middle area thereof and said terminal portion to be connected to the outside to the rear of said folded portion, with a coefficient of average linear expansion α thereof over a range of −55° C. to 125° C. set at 13×10 −6  or lower. 
     
     
       9. The ceramic capacitor of claim  8 , wherein said at least a pair of metal plate terminals comprise an alloy with Fe accounting for 55 wt % to 70 wt % and Ni accounting for 30 wt % to 45 wt %. 
     
     
       10. The ceramic capacitor of claim  1 , wherein said at least a pair of metal plate terminals and said terminal electrodes are connected via a solder. 
     
     
       11. The ceramic capacitor of claim  10 , wherein said solder has a melting point within a range between 200° C. and 400° C. 
     
     
       12. The ceramic capacitor of claim  1 , wherein: 
       said at least one ceramic capacitor element comprises a plurality of ceramic capacitor elements; and  
       said terminal portion is located under a ceramic capacitor element positioned at a lowermost layer among said plurality of ceramic capacitor elements over a distance.  
     
     
       13. The ceramic capacitor of claim  1 , wherein: 
       said at least a pair of metal plate terminals each have a path length extending from said terminal portion to a mounting portion at which a respective one of said terminal electrodes is mounted; and  
       said path length is larger than a component height relative to said terminal portion.  
     
     
       14. The ceramic capacitor of claim  1 , wherein the apex of said folded portion is located at a position that is lower than the apex of said at least one ceramic capacitor element. 
     
     
       15. The ceramic capacitor of claim  1 , wherein: 
       said at least a pair of metal plate terminals are each provided with a bent portion between said folded portion and said terminal portion; and  
       said bent portion is bent such that said terminal portion extends toward said at least one ceramic capacitor element.  
     
     
       16. The ceramic capacitor of claim  1 , wherein said at least a pair of metal plate terminals are each provided with a bent portion in an area extending from said front end thereof to a first bent portion of said folded portion, a first section extending from said bent portion to said first bent portion facing opposite a respective one of said two side end surfaces over a distance, and a second section between said front end and said bent portion connected to a respective one of said terminal electrodes. 
     
     
       17. The ceramic capacitor of claim  1 , wherein: 
       said at least one ceramic capacitor element comprises a plurality of ceramic capacitor elements; and  
       said plurality of ceramic capacitor elements are sequentially laminated, with said terminal electrodes thereof connected in parallel.  
     
     
       18. The ceramic capacitor of claim  17 , wherein said at least a pair of metal plate terminals are each connected to at least one of said terminal electrodes of said plurality of ceramic capacitor elements. 
     
     
       19. The ceramic capacitor of claim  18 , wherein said at least a pair of metal plate terminals each have a bent portion in an area extending from said front end thereof to a first bent portion of said folded portion and each include a section between said front end and said bent portion, said section being located between two terminal electrodes of two adjacent ceramic capacitor elements among said plurality of ceramic capacitor elements and connected to said two terminal electrodes. 
     
     
       20. The ceramic capacitor of claim  19 , wherein said section between said front end and said bent portion is provided to support a terminal electrode of a ceramic capacitor element at a lowermost layer among said plurality of ceramic capacitor elements and is connected to said terminal electrode. 
     
     
       21. The ceramic capacitor of claim  1 , wherein: 
       said at least one ceramic capacitor element comprises a plurality of internal electrodes inside a ceramic dielectric base body;  
       said plurality of internal electrodes are each connected to one of said terminal electrodes at one end, with another end thereof set at a distance from the other one of said terminal electrodes; and  
       said distance is set at a length that ensures that a vertical line drawn at said another end in a direction of the thickness of said ceramic dielectric base body does not intersect said other one of said terminal electrodes.  
     
     
       22. The ceramic capacitor of claim  1 , wherein said terminal electrodes are formed only at said two side end surfaces. 
     
     
       23. The ceramic capacitor of claim  1 , wherein: 
       said at least one ceramic capacitor element satisfies α 1 <α 2  with α 1  representing a coefficient of average linear expansion thereof over a temperature range of 25° C. to −55° C. and α 2  representing a coefficient of average linear expansion thereof over a temperature range of 25° C. to 125° C.; and  
       said at least a pair of metal plate terminals satisfy β<1.3 α 2  and β>0.7 α 1  with β representing a coefficient of average linear expansion thereof over a temperature range of −55° C. to 125° C.  
     
     
       24. The ceramic capacitor of claim  23 , wherein said at least one ceramic capacitor element, with a main constituent of a dielectric body thereof including barium titanate, satisfies α 1 ≦7×10 −6  and α 2 ≧9×10 −6 . 
     
     
       25. The ceramic capacitor of claim  23 , wherein said at least one ceramic capacitor element, with a main constituent of a dielectric body thereof including lead type combined perovskite, satisfies α 1 ≦2×10 −6  and α 2 ≧3×10 −6 . 
     
     
       26. The ceramic capacitor of claim  1 , wherein: 
       said at least one ceramic capacitor element comprises a plurality of ceramic capacitor elements; and  
       said plurality of ceramic capacitor elements are laminated while maintaining a distance of 20 μm or smaller between individual ceramic capacitor elements, with said terminal electrodes soldered onto said at least a pair of metal plate terminals.